Since I first joined a critique group over 6 years ago, my writing has improved immensely! For anyone who’s serious about writing, I highly recommend finding one. Not always so easy, though.
Last week I got into an e-mail discussion with Colene Murphy about how our critique groups work and how we met them (and if you don’t already know her, you should totally click the link and become acquainted . . . she’s a lot of fun!). With her permission, I’m going to share some of our discussion.
How We Met Our Groups
Colene met her group through blogging. She said, “We all connected right around the same time when we started up, we all got close quickly, then we figured out we all wrote YA fantasy. Just clicked!”
I met my current group through the SCBWI Yahoo group for my area. I sent out an e-mail saying I was new to the area and wondered if there were any groups who met near me. One contacted me, inviting me to meet with them and the rest is history.
How We Critique
Because they don’t live near each other, Colene meets with her group on Skype once a week, and they take turns submitting 50 pages at a time. She said, “We usually spend about 2 hours on the 50 pages. We go through a chapter at a time and bring up things we think really need to be discussed and ask questions where we need an answer on something. Grammar and little things we don’t mention just because it would take so long.”
In my group, everyone can submit up to 10 pages every Sunday. We have a week to return our comments via e-mail (we use the “Track Changes” feature of Word). Once a month we meet in person, where we can discuss not only that week’s submission, but any other larger concerns we may have. We comment on things from grammar to pacing to plot. Whatever strikes us as we read.
What I Learned
1. If you are ready to find critique partners, there are a lot of ways to do so.
Point is, there are a lot of ways to meet potential critique partners. It may not always work out, but you never know if you don’t try.
2. Make sure you find a critique method that works for you.
In short, know what you want to gain from your critique partners, and know what you’re willing to give to them. And if you find that a particular group isn’t working for you, you always have the option of gracefully backing out and seeking a new one.
If you are in a group, I’d love to hear how you connected with them and how your group works. So many ways to do it!
If you are looking for a group, or even a single critique partner, please feel free to give a shout-out in the comments. Be sure to mention what genre you write and perhaps the best way to contact you for those who may be interested. Who knows? Perhaps you may find that perfect CP!
Or if you prefer more anonymity, contact me (via my handy-dandy “Contact Me” tab), and I’ll do what I can to connect those with common interests. 🙂